On Saturday, May 19, CISCRP welcomed over 250 people to its AWARE for All public education program in Los Angeles, California. Participants included elementary students and parents, study volunteers, prospective clinical trial volunteers, research professionals, and other local community members.
With support from Host Sponsor The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and from sponsors including Lupus Research Alliance, Science 37, and California Clinical Trials, the program exceeded its fundraising goals and introduced a novel interactive element to engage the broader community in clinical trial awareness and education.
In the weeks leading up to AWARE – LA, CISCRP and Janssen launched a first-of-its kind mobile educational unit called “Journey to Better Health.” The mobile unit – a large customized recreational vehicle — visited ten diverse neighborhoods around metropolitan Los Angeles to raise awareness about clinical research, answer questions about participation, and promote the AWARE program. Locations included North Hollywood, Chinatown, and Grant Park. CISCRP ambassadors connected with over 750 people across this ten-day tour and contributed to half of the AWARE for All program’s pre-registration headcount. The Journey to Better Health RV was developed in collaboration with Wondros, a local creative and media company, with input from local patient and community organizations.
The mobile unit received a strong positive response. CISCRP is currently gathering metrics characterizing reach and exposure. A few preliminary results: 80% of attendees expressed interest in recommending the mobile unit experience to others and a similar percentage gave the educational content quality a very high rating. The majority of attendees reported little prior knowledge about the clinical research process.
The May 19th program, held at the University of Southern California, represented the culmination of the ten-day mobile unit tour. Program participants were welcomed with free health screenings, food, and access to resources from 25 local community organizations. This event attracted a highly diverse crowd: the majority of attendees identified as Hispanic/Latino(a)/Spanish (30%), White (26%), Black or African American (21%), and other (20%). 44% of attendees reported knowing very little about clinical research prior to attending the program, and 74% had never participated in a clinical trial. After their half-day at AWARE, 92% reported an interest in participating in a clinical trial if recommended by their doctor.
CISCRP was honored to feature keynote speaker Staci Hargraves, Vice President of R&D Operations, Planning, and Strategy for The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Hargraves set the stage by empowering audience members to make informed decisions about their health by sharing a personal story about how clinical research positively affected her life and the lives of her family members. Dr. Teresa Sligh provided a meaningful, informative overview presentation about the clinical research process and then turned it over to an inspiring panel discussion. Panelists shared breakthroughs in breast cancer research and dermatology treatments, life-changing clinical trial experiences, and advocacy efforts. To close the AWARE symposium, LA Lakers Legend, A.C. “Iron Man” Green answered questions from the audience and applauded the LA community’s efforts in hosting this educational program.
To view photos of AWARE for All and the “Journey to Better Health” unit’s month-long journey, visit CISCRP’s photo albums on Facebook. Follow CISCRP on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and/or Instagram for video clips of the mobile unit that will be uploaded soon! CISCRP will continue to refine and implement its MT Pharmacy and Journey to a Better Health approaches to raise awareness and to educate the public and patients. We welcome other novel ideas. To support our AWARE for All Educational Events as a sponsor, please contact awareforall@ciscrp.org. If you are interested in having CISCRP visit your community, contact ellyngetz@ciscrp.org.
Written by Leslie Perez, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
